Training Room Encounter
by Wendymypooh
Summary: Jaina runs into a fellow Jedi in the training room, who invites her to spar with him. Goshyn Maul was created by my friend Novaguyver. Bits and pieces of this story was also co-written by him for an RPG I used to run. I've rewritten those old posts, and added more content, to complete this short story set in my SW New Horizons AU.


Chapter One

Jaina walked into the largest of the training rooms on the Errant Venture and found to her surprise that Jedi Goshyn Maul had chosen it for his workout as well. As she entered, she saw that he was moving through a series of leaps, blocks, and parries. She wondered briefly what he would think of her picking the same training room as him to work out in, but then pushed the thought away. It probably didn't matter to him one way or the other. And if it did, he would just have to deal with it. She had every right to be here, just as much as he did.

Booter Terrik had pledged the Errant Venture as a makeshift base for the Jedis and their allies, while they fought the Yuuzhan Vong. Except for the private areas used by Booster, his daughter and her family, and crew members, everywhere else was readily available for the Jedis and their allies to use for training, war strategy, meet-ups, etc.

Several days had passed since the celebration in honor of her younger cousin's birth, and except for brief glimpses during meetings, she hadn't seen Goshyn. Which was understandable considering they were fighting a war, and her own family was scattered all over the galaxy, waging their own skirmishes and battles, before regrouping again back on the Errant Venture. All needed to decompress and catch up on some much needed sleep, and one of Jaina's favorite ways to decompress was spending time in training, either by herself or with someone else.

She nodded briefly in his direction as she moved to another area at the back of the cavernous room, and settled cross-legged on the center of the mat. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes, giving herself over to a few moments of meditation, blocking out that she sensed Goshyn's attention focus on her.

Goshyn had sensed Jaina's approach before she entered the training had given him a brief jolt, having not seen her since the night of the celebration for Ben Skywalker. He had heard that she was back aboard the Errant Venture for a brief time to decompress before going out on her next mission. He had even caught a glimpse or two of her during war strategy meetings or in some of the common areas on the Errant Venture, but she had always been in the midst of other Jedis or with assorted members of her family.

She had never been alone and he hadn't wanted to intrude upon her time with her family, so he had never approached her. He wasn't fool enough to think her kindness at the celebration or their brief interlude afterwards meant anything other than her trying to make him feel more welcome among his fellow Jedi. Yet…he had found himself thinking about her more than once over the past several days.

Goshyn's focus returned to his workout, as Jaina came out of her meditation, and set about doing a number of stretching exercises, before she launched into a series of leaps, twirls, kicks, and parries with an imaginary opponent.

Some time later, when she ignited her lightsaber, she saw Goshyn gesture to her from across the room. Jaina moved cautiously toward him, her lightsaber at the ready. As she stepped onto the mat Goshyn had been using for his training session, he twirled his dual bladed lighsaber, its red-gold blades flashing, as he settled into a fighting stance.

Jaina eyed him as she took up a fighting stance similar to Goshyn's, and brought her amethyst blade before her in a defensive position.

Chapter Two

Maul bowed his head to bi-colored eyes locked with her rich brown ones and for the first time in some years, actually saw something other than wariness and suspicion in another's person's eyes when they looked at him. There wasn't exactly warmth or fondness in the dark orbs, but something akin to liking and friendship. The realization not only stunned him, but pleased him as well.

Jaina bowed back at Goshyn, and waited. She had sensed his initial surprise to find her willing to even workout in the same training room as him, before he had quickly cloaked it. She supposed it was a reflex action by now, given that so many of their fellow Jedi, including herself upon occasion, had usually removed themselves from his presence unless they were in mandatory Jedi meetings together.

She was ashamed of her actions. She didn't like it in the least when people did similar things to her, as soon as they learned she was the granddaughter of Darth Vader. While she didn't blame them for feeling fearful and uneasy in her presence,given that so many had endured horrible cruelty at the hands of her maternal grandfather, it nevertheless stung. She was not Darth Vader and wished only that people would make judgments about her based upon her own merits or faults.

Goshyn was no more responsible for the evil doings that his ancestors had done before him, as she was for what Darth Vader had done. She would remember that in the future and treat her fellow Jedi on his own merits or faults.

The prickling of warning through the Force broke Jaina out of her reverie, in time to react, as Goshyn lunged forward. He came at her with the dual red-gold blades flashing, and she blocked first one twirling blade, and then the other, before countering with a parry of her own. The edges of the two blades made a sizzling sound as they made contact. She flashed gave Goshyn an impish grin before moving into a flurry of parries, thrusts and kicks that made Maul backtrack in his attempts to block them.

She sensed that he was only testing her and it irked her. She

didn't want him to play light with her because she was female. No one else dared to do it, not her Uncle Luke or her brothers. They knew better than to underestimate her, and she was determined that Goshyn would know his mistake in doing so.

Goshyn smiled, it had been some time since he had sparred with of his lightsaber training he had done on his own or with one of the Master Skywalkers. Even while at the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4, he had few partners, except when he was paired up with someone by Master Luke. He was going to enjoy sparring with Jaina, and testing both the female Jedi's abilities, as well as his own.

He jumped back into a falling twirl landing in a crouch stance. As he moved, he sent out a surge of Force energy toward the lighting system, and the cavernous room was flooded with darkness. Only thing that could be seen was the outline of each of them by the glow of their weapons. The Force wove into Goshyn as he twirled his double bladed lightsaber in a tight arc swinging low, and then high, trying to gain an advantage over Jaina.

Chapter Three

Jaina let the Force guide her movements as she blocked the downward stroke of the upper blade of Goshyn's double-sided lightsaber and jumped over the bottom blade as he swept it toward her legs. She did a backward somersault and landed in a light crouch a few feet away, balancing momentarily on the balls of her feet, before she flung herself into a flurry of movement at Goshyn.

Her forward movement caused Goshyn to backpedal. The blades of their lightsabers clashed and sizzled as they blocked or parried each slice, slash, or thrust the other made in their direction. As their blades came together in a cross pattern between them, Jaina swept out with her right leg and caught him full in the chest.

Goshyn stumbled but didn't fall as Jaina had hoped and she had just enough time to admire his quick reflexes, before he swung into a series of roundhouse kicks, that forced her to backpedal, then twirl out of his his way in a flurry of movement. This left her facing toward Goshyn as he came out of the final kick and enabled her to move in with a thrust that Goshyn blocked at the last second. The two stared at each other from a few feet away, neither wanting to be the first to break the stance nor the staredown.

Goshyn dodged left, then parried Jaina's lightsaber to the flipped over Jaina, landing deftly behind her. As she twirled around to face him, he moves in on her fast, striking first high, then low, keeping her on the defensive. Pressing his advantage, keeping her on guard, Goshyn dives into a forward roll and flips back onto his feet, and moving immediately into a spin kick that knocks her off balance.

Though winded by the impact in which she hit the mat on her back, Jaina brought her lightsaber up with block across her chest that left the end of Goshyn's blade only inches from her sensed that the other Jedi's moves were becoming more aggressive by the moment, and wondered if Goshyn was even aware of it.

Though longing to strike back just as long and as hard as he was at her...Jaina knew that the thoughts were of the darkside. Aggression and anger were of the darkside and had no place in a Jedi's life. Jaina pulled in the Force around here and used it to calm her feelings before she gave Goshyn a Force push that sent him flying backwards and enabled her to regain her ground. Once she was on her feet again, she took up a stance and waited for Goshyn to make his next move.

Chapter Four

Goshyn halted his backward movement with the Force, landing lightly on his feet. He reached out with the Force and activated the lights. He blinked in the sudden brightness, and took stock of the defensive stance Jaina was in. She was ready to go another round with him.

He deactivated his lightsaber and smiled at her. Not only was she beautiful, but she was a gifted Jedi with amazing Force abilities. "Nice job. I'm sorry for testing your abilities early on, and then for letting things get a little too aggressive toward the end. It has been awhile since I've sparred with anyone other than the Yuuzhan Vong, and if they make contact with you it's usually a death blow."

Jaina blinked against the sudden brightness that lit the room. She watched Goshyn carefully, waiting for him to make his next move, and was more than a little surprised when he deactivated his lightsaber. She followed suit clipping her lightsaber onto her utility belt. "I suppose it is natural to want to test someone you've never sparred with." Jaina said. "So I accept your apology. You are quite skilled."

"Thank you." Goshyn replied. "I have tried to take what Masters Luke and Mara Jade have taught me, and craft it into something that works for me. As it is obvious from our sparring, that you are very skilled as well."

There was a hint of something new in Goshyn's voice, and in his bi-colored eyes that Jaina wasn't expecting. Admiration and respect. It surprised her, but in a good way.

She felt herself flush under his admiring gaze, not quite knowing what to do about it. She was never sure how to act when a man showed her any kind of emotion towards her other than cordial greetings. Except for those expressed by the men in her family, of course. Or Kyp.

Kyp had always made her feel at ease no matter what they were doing. She quickly chased thoughts of him aside.

"Thank you." She told him, laying down on the mat.

"You are welcome." Goshyn, to her surprise, lay down beside her. "So what made you decide to spar with me? Most everyone else tend to vacate a room once I come into it."

She turned her head to look at him. His bi-colored eyes were even more brilliant and bold this close to him. " You gestured for me to join I did."

Jaina could tell her words surprised Goshyn.

"I see." Goshyn said.

Jaina was quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. "I will not defend nor criticize the actions of our fellow Jedi in regards to how they act or treat you. It is not for me to do so.

I can however, tell you that I am sorry for how I've treated you in the past. You are not responsible for the cruelties imposed on people via your ancestors, anymore than I am for what Darth Vader did."

Her words touched Goshyn. "Thank you for your candor. If I find fault with any of the Jedi, I must include myself. I have become accustom to assuming that all are finding fault with my lineage, and act accordingly. Perhaps now it is time for me to try another tactic."

"Perhaps." Jaina smiled at him. "I won't promise that all will like you, but at least some will come to trust and respect you."

"Maybe." Goshyn got up. "I should go shower and change before our next meeting."

"So should I." Jaina rose to her feet. "I enjoyed sparring and talking with you."

'And I with you." Goshyn said as they parted ways outside the training room.


End file.
